The Biggest Homefield Advantages in Sports

In sports, people believe that momentum and homefield advantages are myths. They believe they don't exist, and the only reason people think it's true has little to do with the sport and more to do with the psychology of the game.

They're wrong. Of course, there is such thing as home field advantage. Just go ask the teams that have to play in Eugene, Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, New York, or Boston.

24. Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City Chiefs

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You don't have to dominate to have homefield advantage. The best example of this is the rowdy fans of the Kansas City Chiefs. They show up every home game, screaming and roaring their team along the way.

The numbers don't do Arrowhead Stadium justice, 52-44 at home over the past 12 seasons. But the fans continue to come, and the noise is louder than you could imagine.

23. The Original Yankee Stadium: New York Yankees

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The Yankees are one of the biggest names in sports history so it comes as little shock to me that they would also have one of the biggest homefield advantages in sports.

Opposing teams aren't just walking into a lion's den, they are walking into a place that Ruth built. There is so much history and so much respect for that stadium; it made it tough for everyone to concentrate on the game.

22. Ibrox Stadium: Rangers FC

How many of these places have been standing since the 19th century? Ibrox Stadium has been around since 1899, and the Rangers FC have played there and dominated for almost as long.

I can sit here and spew off the countless accolades of the Rangers FC since playing in Ibrox but I would run out of room. Just know that winning 54 Scottish League Championships is a feat that will never be topped.

21. Kyle Field: Texas A&M

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Kyle Field is tough to play thanks to the dedicated fans, 12th Man, that fill the stadium every home game.

E. King Gill, a former player who left the team earlier in the season, was pulled from the stands back in 1922 when Aggie head coach, D.X. Bible, was afraid he wouldn't have enough players to finish the game.

Since then, the Aggie fans have dominated their home turf and have owned it.

19. Boston Garden: Boston Celtics/Boston Bruins

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If history has anything to do with intimidation in the NBA, then the Boston Garden has to own it better than any other team.

Just walking into the Boston Garden was like walking into a time capsule where some of the greatest NBA teams have once played. From Bill Russell to Larry Bird, it was once one of the most intimidating arenas in the world.

17. Estadio Azteca: Mexico National Team

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Up until a few months ago, Estadio Azteca has been the place where the Mexican National Soccer Team has dominated the United States, beating them 23 consecutive times.

But this stadium makes the list for one reason: architecture. It seats 105,000 people but has built-in tiers so the top tier is right on top of the bottom, giving opponents a feeling of 100,000 people screaming in their back pocket.

It is also the only stadium, in history, to host two FIFA World Cup Finals.

16. Bell Centre: Montreal Canadiens

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Since 2004, the Montreal Canadiens have not seen an empty seat in their house. They have been sold out for the past eight seasons, and would be, too, this year, if they ever get back to playing hockey in the NHL.

Even after having a terrible 2011-2012 season, the Canadiens still finished above .500 at home.

14. Chesapeake Energy Arena: Oklahoma City Thunder

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Not too many NBA arenas have made the list for one reason: smaller venues or less fandom.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder have become the hottest young team in the NBA, making it all the way to the NBA Finals last season. They have won 26, 30, and 27 games at home in consecutive seasons which is among the best in the NBA at home.

13. CenturyLink Field: Seattle Seahawks

Outdoor stadiums are not suppose to be as loud as the indoor ones but the fans of the Seattle Seahawks beg to differ. They have turned CenturyLink Field into a scary venue for any visiting team.

Just because they haven't won a Super Bowl or dominated their opponents at home, doesn't mean this isn't one of the best homefield advantages in sports. As bad as the Seahawks have been, they still find ways to win games at home.

12. Cameron Indoor Stadium: Duke

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In the world of college basketball, Cameron Indoor Stadium is one of the greatest of all time. Fans, literally sleep in tents outside the stadium for months, to be the first in line to purchase tickets.

I know homeless people with less dedication. And that is just to get into the arena. Once inside, it's like they added an entire row on the court where the fans are nearly touching the free throw line.

It's like a haunted house for the opposition and one of the scariest places for opponents to play.

8. Mercedes Benz Superdome: New Orleans Saints

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As a Saints fan, this was an easy choice for my list.

If you haven't been in the Superdome for a Saints game, you haven't lived. It is harder to hear your own thoughts, let alone what the people next to you are saying. It is so loud, you might not want to go back. Ever.

In 2008, the Saints finished the season 8-8 but went 6-2 in the Dome. Last season, they took it a step further, and didn't lose a single game at home on their way to a 13-3 finish.

Even when the fans wore bags on their heads, the Saints still managed to win games at home.

7. Estadio Alberto J. Armando: Boca Juniors

You don't need 100,000 people to make noise and win games. And that is exactly what the fans of the Boca Juniors believe, they squeeze 50,000 people into a stadium that should only fit 40,000.

It is already bad enough these fans are crazy but imagine having to play in front of them. It must feel like you are in a can of sardines where all the other sardines hate your guts. Talk about awkward.

6. Tiger Stadium: LSU

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As unbiased as I can be, Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge defines homefield advantage.

Just go ask Les Miles. Even he will tell you playing in Baton Rouge is tough. His record in Death Valley is the best of his career at any venue, 49-7. And since 1924, LSU has a .722 winning percentage at home.

Did I forget to mention they bring out a live Tiger before the game too? That trumps bringing out any other animal. Ever.

1. The Fans

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Without fans, there is no such thing as homefield advantage. An empty stadium is as useless an advantage as there ever was in sports. Crowds of screaming fans are what makes the home field advantageous.

It is no coincidence that the biggest venues in sports relate to the toughest places to play. None of these venues would make sense without the help of those rowdy fans.